tv 2000 Republican National Convention Day 4 CSPAN June 25, 2016 2:00pm-2:58pm EDT
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to the near and far reaches of the solar system are beginning to provide some of the answers. >> each week until the 2016 election road to the white house rewind brings you archival coverage of presidential races. next, george w. bush accepts his party's presidential nomination at the 2000 republican national convention in philadelphia. in his speech, the texas governor vows if elected president to "renew america's purpose." george w. bush went on to win the general election over democrat and vice president al gore in one of the most highly contested in u.s. history. this is just under an hour. [applause]
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[cheers] governor bush: our founders first defined that purpose here in philadelphia. ben franklin was here. thomas jefferson. and, of course, george washington -- or, as his friends called him, "george w." [laughter] [applause] governor bush: i am proud to have dick cheney by my side. [cheers] [applause]
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governor bush: he is a man of integrity and sound judgment, who has proven that public service can be noble service. america will be proud to have a leader of such character to succeed al gore as vice president of the united states. [cheers] [applause] i appreciate very much his -- governor bush: i'm grateful for senator john mccain. i appreciate very much his speech two nightss ago, i appreciate his friendship, i appreciate the spirit for america. and i want to thank the other candidates who sought this nomination. their convictions have strengthened our party. [applause]
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governor bush: i am especially grateful tonight to my family. no matter what else i do in my life, asking laura to marry me was the best decision i ever made. [cheers] [applause] governor bush: and to our daughters, barbara and jenna, we love you, we're proud of you, and as you head off to college this fall -- don't stay out too late, and e-mail your old dad once in a while, will you? and mother, everybody loves you and so do i. [cheers] [applause]
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governor bush: growing up, she gave me love and lots of advice. i gave her white hair. [laughter] governor bush: and i want to thank my dad, the most decent man i have ever known. [cheers] [applause] governor bush: all my life i have been amazed that a gentle soul could be so strong. dad, i am proud to be your son. [cheers] [applause] my father was the last president
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of a great generation, a generation of americans who stormed beaches, liberated concentration camps and delivered us from evil. some never came home. those who did put their medals in drawers, went to work, and built on a heroic scale highways and universities, suburbs and factories, great cities and grand alliances, the strong foundations of an american century. now the question comes to the sons and daughters of this achievement. what is asked of us? this is a remarkable moment in the life of our nation. never has the promise of prosperity been so vivid. but times of plenty, like times of crisis, are tests of american character. prosperity can be a tool in our hands, used to build and better our country. or it can be a drug in our
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system, dulling our sense of urgency, of empathy, of duty. our opportunities are too great, our lives too short to waste this moment. so tonight, we vow to our nation, we will seize this moment of american promise. we will use these good times for great goals. [cheers] [applause] governor bush: we will confront the hard issues -- threats to our national security, threats to our health and retirement security -- before the challenges of our time become crises for our children. and we will extend the promise of prosperity to every forgotten corner of this country.
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to every man and woman, a chance to succeed. to every child, a chance to learn. to every family, a chance to live with dignity and hope. [cheers] [applause] governor bush: for eight years, the clinton/gore administration has coasted through prosperity. the path of least resistance is always downhill. but america's way is the rising road. this nation is daring and decent and ready for change. [applause]
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governor bush: our current president embodied the potential of a generation. so many talents, so much charm, such great skill. but in the end, to what end? so much promise to no great purpose. [applause] governor bush: little more than a decade ago, the cold war thawed and with the leadership of presidents reagan and bush, that wall came down. [cheers] [applause] governor bush: but instead of seizing this moment, the
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clinton/gore administration has squandered it. we have seen a steady erosion of american power and an unsteady exercise of american influence. our military is low on parts, pay, and morale. if called on by the commander-in-chief today, two entire divisions of the army would have to report "not ready for duty, sir." this administration had its moment. they had their chance. they have not led. we will. [cheers] [applause]
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governor bush: this generation was given the gift of the best education in american history. yet we do not share that gift with everyone. seven of ten fourth-graders in our highest poverty schools cannot read a simple children's book. and still, this administration continues on the same old path with the same old programs - while millions are trapped in schools where violence is common and learning is rare. this administration had its chance. they have not led. we will. [cheers] [applause] governor bush: america has a strong economy and a surplus. we have the public resources and
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the public will -- even the bipartisan opportunities to strengthen social security and repair medicare. but this administration, during eight years of increasing need, did nothing. they had their moment. they have not led. we will. [cheers] [applause] governor bush: our generation has a chance to reclaim some essential values, to show we have grown up before we grow old. but when the moment for
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leadership came, this administration did not teach our children. it disillusioned them. they had their chance. they have not led. we will. [cheers] [applause] governor bush: and now they come asking for another chance, another shot. our answer? not this time. not this year. this is not a time for third chances, it is a time for new beginnings. [cheers] [applause]
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governor bush: the rising generations of this country have our own appointment with greatness. it does not rise or fall with the stock market. it cannot be bought with our wealth. greatness is found when american character and american courage overcome american challenges. when lewis morris of new york was about to sign the declaration of independence, his brother advised against it, warning he would lose all his property. but morris, a plain-spoken founder, responded, "damn the consequences, give me the pen." [cheers] [applause]
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governor bush: that is the eloquence of american action. we heard it during world war ii, when general eisenhower told paratroopers on d-day morning not to worry. and one replied, "we're not worried, general. it's hitler's turn to worry now." [applause] governor bush: we heard it in the civil rights movement, when brave men and women did not say, "we shall cope," or "we shall see." they said, "we shall overcome." [cheers] [applause] governor bush: an american president must call upon that character.
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tonight, in this hall, we resolve to be not the party of repose, but the party of reform. we will write, not footnotes, but chapters in the american story. we will add the work of our hands to the inheritance of our fathers and mothers, and leave this nation greater than we found it. [cheers] [applause] governor bush: we know the tests of leadership. the issues are joined. we will strengthen social security and medicare for the greatest generation, and for generations to come. [applause] governor bush: medicare does more than meet the needs of our
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elderly. it reflects the values of our society. we will set it on firm financial ground and make prescription drugs available and affordable for every senior who needs them. [applause] governor bush: social security has been called the "third rail of american politics," the one you're not supposed to touch because it might shock you. but, if you don't touch it, you can't fix it. and i intend to fix it. [cheers] [applause] governor bush: to the seniors in this country, you earned your benefits. you made your plans.
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and president george w. bush will keep the promise of social security -- no changes, no reductions, no way. [cheers] [applause] governor bush: our opponents will say otherwise. this is their last parting ploy, and don't believe a word of it. now is the time for republicans and democrats to end the politics of fear and save social security, together. [applause] governor bush: for younger workers, we will give you the option -- your choice -- to put a part of your payroll taxes into sound, responsible investments.
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[cheers] [applause] governor bush: this will mean a higher return on your money, and over 30 or 40 years, a nest egg to help your retirement, or to pass on to your children. when this money is in your name, in your account, it's not just a program, it's your property. now is the time to give american workers security and independence that no politician can ever take away. [applause] governor bush: on education, too many american children are segregated into schools without standards, shuffled from grade-to-grade because of their
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age, regardless of their knowledge. this is discrimination, pure and simple. the soft bigotry of low expectations. and our nation should treat it like other forms of discrimination. we should end it. [cheers] [applause] governor bush: one size does not fit all when it comes to educating our children, so local people should control local schools. [cheers] [applause] governor bush: and those who spend your tax dollars must be held accountable.
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when a school district receives federal funds to teach poor children, we expect them to learn. and if they don't, parents should get the money to make a different choice. [cheers] [applause] governor bush: now is the time to make head start an early learning program, teach all our children to read, and renew the promise of america's public schools. [applause] governor bush: another test of leadership is tax relief. [applause] governor bush: the last time taxes were this high as a percentage of our economy, there
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was a good reason. we were fighting world war ii. today, our high taxes fund a surplus. some say that growing federal surplus means washington has more money to spend. but they've got it backwards. the surplus is not the government's money. the surplus is the people's money. [cheers] [applause] governor bush: i will use this moment of opportunity to bring common sense and fairness to the tax code. and i will act on principle. on principle, every family,
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every farmer and small businessperson should be free to pass on their life's work to those they love. so we will abolish the death tax. [cheers] [applause] governor bush: on principle, no one in america should have to pay more than a third of their income to the federal government. so we will reduce tax rates for everyone, in every bracket. [applause] governor bush: on principle, those in the greatest need should receive the greatest help.
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so we will lower the bottom rate from 15% to 10% and double the child credit. [applause] governor bush: now is the time to reform the tax code and share some of the surplus with the people who pay the bills. [applause] governor bush: the world needs america's strength and leadership, and america's armed forces need better equipment, better training, and better pay. [applause] governor bush: we will give our military the means to keep the peace, and we will give it one thing more -- a
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commander-in-chief who respects our men and women in uniform, and a commander-in-chief who earns their respect. [applause] governor bush: a generation shaped by vietnam must remember the lessons of vietnam. when america uses force in the world, the cause must be just, the goal must be clear, and the victory must be overwhelming. [applause]
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governor bush: i will work to reduce nuclear weapons and nuclear tension in the world -- to turn these years of influence into decades of peace. and, at the earliest possible date, my administration will deploy missile defenses to guard against attack and blackmail. [cheers] [applause] governor bush: now is the time, not to defend outdated treaties, but to defend the american people. [cheers] governor bush: a time of prosperity is a test of vision. and our nation today needs vision.
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that is a fact, or as my opponent might call it, a "risky truth scheme." [laughter] [applause] governor bush: every one of the proposals i've talked about tonight, he has called a "risky scheme," over and over again. it is the sum of his message. the politics of the roadblock, the philosophy of the stop sign. if my opponent had been at the moon launch, it would have been a "risky rocket scheme." [laughter] [applause] governor bush: if he'd been there when edison was testing the light bulb, it would have been a "risky anti-candle scheme." [laughter] [applause]
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governor bush: that outlook, that outlook is typical of many in washington always seeing the , tunnel at the end of the light. [laughter] [applause] governor bush: but i come i , come from a different place, and it has made me a different leader. in midland, texas, where i grew up, the town motto was "the sky is the limit," and we believed it. there was a restless energy, a basic conviction that, with hard work, anybody could succeed, and everybody deserved a chance. our sense of community our sense , of community was just as strong as that sense of promise. neighbors helped each other. there were dry wells and sandstorms to keep you humble, lifelong friends to take your side, and churches to remind us that every soul is equal in value and equal in need. [applause]
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governor bush: this background leaves more than an accent. it leaves an outlook. optimistic, impatient with pretense, confident that people can chart their own course. in life. that background may lack the polish of washington. then again, i don't have a lot of things that come with washington. i don't have enemies to fight. i have no stake in the bitter arguments of the last few years. i want to change the tone of washington to one of civility and respect. [applause]
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governor bush: the largest lesson i learned in midland still guides me as governor of texas. everyone, from immigrant to entrepreneur, has an equal claim on this country's promise. so we improved our schools, dramatically, for children of every accent, of every background. we moved people from welfare to work. we strengthened our juvenile justice laws. our budgets have been balanced, with surpluses, and we cut taxes not only once, but twice. [applause] governor bush: we accomplished a lot. i don't deserve all the credit, and don't attempt to take it. i worked with republicans and democrats to get things done. a bittersweet part of tonight is that someone is missing, the late lieutenant governor of
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texas, bob bullock. [applause] governor bush: bob was a democrat, a crusty veteran of texas politics, and my great friend. we worked side-by-side. he endorsed my re-election, and i know he is with me in spirit in saying to those who would malign our state for political mess with texas." [applause] governor bush: as governor as , governor, i've made difficult decisions, and stood by them under pressure. i've been where the buck stops,
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in business and in government. i've been a chief executive who sets an agenda, sets big goals, and rallies people to believe and achieve them. i am proud of this record, and i am prepared for the work ahead. if you give me your trust, i will honor it. grant me a mandate, and i will use it. give me the opportunity to lead this nation, and i will lead. [applause] governor bush: and we need a leader to seize the opportunities of this new century the new cures of , medicine, the amazing
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technologies that will drive our economy and keep the peace. but our new economy must never forget the old, unfinished struggle for human dignity. and here, we face a challenge to the very heart and founding premise of our nation. a couple of years ago, i visited a juvenile jail in marlin, texas and talked with a group of young inmates. they were angry, wary kids. all had committed grownup crimes. yet when i looked in their eyes, i realized some of them were still little boys. toward the end of conversation, one young man, about 15 years old, raised his hand and asked a haunting question. "what do you think of me?" he seemed to be asking, like many americans who struggle, "is there hope for me? do i have a chance?" and frankly, "do you, a white man in a suit, really care what happens to me?"
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a small voice, but it speaks for so many. single moms, struggling to feed the kids and pay the rent. immigrants, starting a hard life in a new world. children without fathers in neighborhoods where gangs seem like friendship, where drugs promise peace, and where sex, sadly, seems the closest thing to belonging. we are their country, too. and each of us must share in its promise, or the promise is diminished for all. if that boy in marlin believes he is trapped and worthless and hopeless if he believes his life , has no value, then other lies have no value to him and we are , all diminished. when these problems are not confronted, it builds a wall within our nation. side our wealth, technology -- are wealth,
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technology, education and ambition. on the other side of the wall are poverty and prison, addiction and despair. and, my fellow americans, we must tear down that wall. [applause] governor bush: big government is not the answer. but the alternative to bureaucracy is not indifference. it is to put conservative values and conservative ideas into the thick of the fight for justice and opportunity. this is what i mean by compassionate conservatism, and on this ground, we will lead our
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nation. [applause] governor bush: we will give low-income americans tax credits to buy the private health insurance they need and deserve. [applause] governor bush: we will transform today's housing rental program to help hundreds of thousands of low-income families find stability and dignity in a home of their own. [applause] governor bush: and, in the next bold step of welfare reform, we will support the heroic work of homeless shelters and hospices, food pantry and crisis pregnancy centers people reclaiming their , communities block-by-block and heart-by-heart. [applause]
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governor bush: i think of mary jo copeland, whose ministry called "sharing and caring hands" serves 1000 meals a week in minneapolis, minnesota. [applause] governor bush: each day, mary jo washes the feet of the homeless, then sends them off with new socks and shoes. "look after your feet," she tells them. "they must carry you a long way in this world, and then all the way to god." government cannot do this work. it can feed the body, but it cannot reach the soul. [applause]
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governor bush: yet, government can take the side of these groups, helping the helper, encouraging the inspired. my administration will give taxpayers new incentives to donate to charity, encourage after-school programs that build character, and support mentoring groups that shape and save young lives. [applause] governor bush: we must give our children a spirit of moral courage, because their character is our destiny. [applause] governor bush: we must tell them, we must tell them we must , tell them with confidence that drugs and alcohol can destroy you, and bigotry disfigures the heart. [applause] governor bush: our schools must support the ideals of parents,
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elevating character and abstinence from afterthoughts to urgent goals. [applause] governor bush: we must help protect our children, in our schools and streets, and by finally and strictly enforcing our nation's gun laws. [applause] governor bush: most of all, we must teach our children the values that defeat violence. i will lead our nation toward a culture that values life the , life of the elderly and the sick, the life of the young, and the life of the unborn. [applause]
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governor bush: behind every goal , behind every goal i have talked about tonight is a great hope for our country. 100 years from now, this must not be remembered as an age rich in possessions and poor in ideals. instead, we must usher in an era of responsibility. [applause] governor bush: my generation tested limits, and our country , in some ways, is better for it. women are now treated more equally. racial progress has been steady, if still too slow. we are learning to protect we , are learning to protect the natural world around us. we will continue this progress, and we will not turn back. [applause]
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governor bush: at times, we lost our way. but we are coming home. [applause] governor bush: so many of us held our first child and saw a better self reflected in her eyes. and in that family love, many have found the sign and symbol of an even greater love and have been touched by faith. we have discovered that who we are is more important than what we have. and we know we must renew our values to restore our country. [applause]
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governor bush: this is the vision of america's founders. they never saw our nation's greatness in rising wealth or advancing armies, but in small, unnumbered acts of caring and courage and self-denial. their highest hope, as robert frost described it, was "to occupy the land with character." and that, 13 generations later, is still our goal to occupy the , land with character. [applause] governor bush: in a responsibility era, each of us has important tasks, work that only we can do. each of us is responsible to
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each of us is responsible and to help a neighbor in need. synagogues, churches, and mosques are responsible, not only to worship, but to serve. corporations are responsible to treat their workers fairly, and leave the air and waters clean. [applause] governor bush: and our nation's leaders are responsible to confront problems, not pass them on to others. [applause] governor bush: and to lead this nation to a responsibility era, a president himself must be responsible. [applause]
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governor bush: and so, when i put my hand on the bible, i will swear to not only uphold the laws of our land, i will swear to uphold the honor and dignity of the office to which i have been elected, so help me god. [applause] governor bush: i believe the presidency, the final point of decision in the american government, was made for great purposes. it is the office of lincoln's conscience, of teddy roosevelt's
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energy, of harry truman's integrity, and of ronald reagan's optimism. [applause] governor bush: for me, gaining this office is not the ambition of a lifetime, but it is the opportunity of a lifetime. and i will make the most of it. [applause] governor bush: i believe great decisions are made with care, made with conviction, not made with polls. [applause] governor bush: i do not need to take your pulse before i know my own mind. i do not reinvent myself at every turn. i am not running in borrowed clothes. [applause]
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governor bush: when i act, you will know my reasons. and when i speak, you will know my heart. [applause] i believe in: tolerance, not in spite of my faith, but because of it. [applause] governor bush: i believe in a god who calls us, not to judge our neighbors, but to love them. [applause] governor bush: i believe in grace, because i have seen it. in peace, because i have felt it. in forgiveness, because i have needed it. [applause]
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governor bush: i believe true leadership is a process of addition, not an act of division. i will not attack a part of this country, because i want to lead the whole of it. [applause] governor bush: and i believe this will be a tough race, down to the wire. their war room is up and running, but we are ready. [applause] governor bush: their attacks will be relentless, but they will be answered. we are facing something familiar, but they are facing something new. [applause]
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governor bush: we are now the party of ideas and innovation, the party of idealism and inclusion, the party of a simple and powerful hope. my fellow citizens, we can begin again. [applause] governor bush: after all, after all of the shouting, and all of the scandal after all of the , bitterness and broken faith. , we can begin again. [applause] governor bush: the weight, -- the wait, the wait has been long, but it won't be long now. [applause] governor bush: a prosperous nation is ready to renew its
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purpose and unite behind great goals, and it won't be long now. [applause] governor bush: our nation our , nation must renew the hopes of that boy i talked with in jail, and so many like him. and it won't be long now. [applause] our country our , country is ready for high standards and new leaders, and it won't be long now. [applause] governor bush: an era of tarnished ideals is giving way to a responsibility era. and it won't be long now. [applause] governor bush: i know i know how , serious the task is before me.
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i know the presidency is an office that turns pride into prayer but i am eager to start , on the work ahead. and i believe america is ready for a new beginning. [applause] governor bush: my friend, my friend, the artist tom lea of el paso, texas, captured the way i feel about our great land, the land i love. he and his wife, he said, "live on the east side of the mountain.
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which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] announcer: "road to the white house rewind" continues with al gore accepting his party's presidential nomination at the 2000 democratic national convention in los angeles. in his speech, the vice president outlines his vision to improve the lives of working americans. al gore lost to republican george w. bush in the general election in one of the most highly contested in u.s. history. this is just under an hour.
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